Mocha Cream Party Punch - Mom's

4 qt strong coffee (1 gallon)
2 qt chocolate ice cream (Haagen Dazs recommended)
2 qt vanilla ice cream (Haagen Dazs recommended)
1/2 pt whipping cream (or cheat and use Cool Whip)
1/2 cup sugar
2 Tbs vanilla
Nutmeg for garnish


Chill coffee.
Add ice creams, stir until partially melted.
Whip cream, adding sugar gradually (or dissolve into coffee), then fold in vanilla - float on top of ice cream mixture
Sprinkle with nutmeg.

Yield: 25-30 servings

Butternut Squash Soup - Mom's

• Author: Cookie and Kate
 

• Prep Time: 10 mins
 

• Cook Time: 55 mins
 

• Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes

 Serves
• : 4 bowls or 6 cups

 
• Method: Roasted and blended
 

• 1 large butternut squash (about 3 pounds), halved vertically and seeded
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• ½ cup chopped shallot (about 1 large shallot bulb)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 4 garlic cloves, pressed or minced
• 1 teaspoon maple syrup
• ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• Up to 4 cups (32 ounces) vegetable broth
• 1 to 2 Tablespoons butter, to taste (substitute olive oil for dairy free/vegan soup)

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the butternut squash on the pan and drizzle each half with just enough olive oil to lightly coat the squash on the inside (about 1 teaspoon each). Rub the oil over the inside of the squash and sprinkle it with salt and pepper.
2. Turn the squash face down and roast until it is tender and completely cooked through, about 45 to 50 minutes. Set the squash aside until it’s cool enough to handle, about 10 minutes. Then use a large spoon to scoop the butternut squash flesh into a bowl and discard the tough skin.
3. Meanwhile, in a medium skillet (or large soup pot, if you’ll be serving soup from that pot), warm 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add the chopped shallot and 1 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring often, until the shallot has softened and is starting to turn golden on the edges, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute, stirring frequently.
4. If you have a high performance blender like a Vitamix (see notes if you’re using an immersion blender instead), transfer the cooked shallot and garlic to your blender. Add the reserved butternut, maple syrup, nutmeg and a few twists of freshly ground black pepper. Pour in 3 cups vegetable broth, being careful not to fill the container past the maximum fill line (you can work in batches if necessary, and stir in any remaining broth later). Securely fasten the lid and select the soup preset, being careful to avoid hot steam escaping from the lid. The blender will stop running once the soup is super creamy and hot.
5. If you would like to thin out your soup a bit more, stir in the remaining cup of broth (I used the full 4 cups, but if you used a small squash, you might want to leave it as is). Add 1 to 2 tablespoons butter or olive oil, to taste, and blend well. Taste and stir in more salt and pepper, if necessary.
6. Serve immediately (I like to top each bowl with a little more black pepper). Let leftover soup cool completely before transferring it to a proper storage container and refrigerating it for up to 4 days (leftovers taste even better the next day!). Or, freeze this soup for up to 3 months.

NOTES

IF YOU ARE WORKING WITH AN IMMERSION BLENDER, add the reserved squash to the pot, then add the broth, maple syrup, nutmeg and a few twists of freshly ground black pepper. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 to 20 minutes so the flavors have a chance to meld. Carefully use your immersion blender to blend the soup completely, then add 1 to 2 Tablespoons butter or olive oil, to taste, and blend again. Taste and blend in more salt and pepper, if necessary.

Chicken and Rice Casserole - Mom's

Prep:

Cook: 1 ½ hours

Serves: 6-8

1 cup quick cooking rice

Chicken pieces, breast and thighs

1 package dry onion soup

1 can mushroom soup

1 can milk

Grease casserole and put in uncooked rice. 

Lay chicken on top, sprinkle with dry onion soup. 

Mix mushroom soup and milk, pour over chicken. 

Bake at 325 F for 1 ½ hours until chicken is done.

Spiced Baked Chicken - Mom's

Combine in a large ziplock bag:

Heaping Tbls old bay seasoning

2 Tbls lowery seasoned salt

1 tsp garlic salt

¼ cup flower

4-6 chicken legs and thighs washed and patted dry.

Shake chicken in spice one at a time in bag. 

Place on aluminum foil cooking sheet. 

Bake 45 minutes to 1 hour at 375. 

Texas Sheet Cake - Mom's

Prep:

Cook: 20 min.

Serves: 10-15

2 cups flower

2 cups sugar

½ teaspoon salt

Boil together:

1 stick butter

1 cup water

¼ cup cocoa

½ cup Crisco

Blend together then add:

½ cup butter milk

2 eggs

1 tsp baking soda

2 tsp vanilla

Icing – boil:

1 stick butter

¼ cup cocoa

1/3 cup buttermilk

Pour over:

1 box powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla

¼ tsp salt

Bake 20 minutes at 400 F.

Chicken or Turkey Tetrazzini - Mom's

Prep: 15 min

Cook: 30-40 min

Serves: 12

1 16-ounce package spaghetti

1 cup onion

3 tabs of butter

1 cup green bell pepper

5 ½ cups cooked, diced chicken

4 cups Monterey Jack cheese

2 cans cream of mushroom soup

1 soup can of milk

salt and pepper to taste

Cook spaghetti. 

Cook chicken and cut into 1 inch cubes. 

Chop onion and bell pepper finely and sauté together. 

Grate Monterey Jack cheese. 

Mix all ingredients together in a very large mixing bowl.  

Put in two gallon ziplock containers to freeze. 

To prepare thaw and put in baking dish. 

Bake uncovered with French Fried Onions on top at 350 F until bubbly, 30-40 min.

Chicken Chili Verde - Mom's

Prep: 25 min

Cook: 30 min

Serves: 5

3 cans pinto beans

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts (2 cups cooked)

1 4-ounce can chopped green chilies

1 tsp ground cumin

¾ tsp dried oregano leaves

1/8 tsp ground cloves

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

3 cups chicken stock

1 tsp minced garlic (1 clove)

1 tsp salt

1/3 cup finely chopped onion

Toppings:

1 cup grated low-fat Monterey Jack cheese

1 dozen corn tortillas

1 11 ½ -ounce jar salsa

Cook chicken breasts then cut into 1-inch cubes. Sauté onion. Combine chicken with chilies and seasonings; refrigerate until needed. At the same time, combine beans, chicken stock, garlic, salt and onion in a large pot; bring to a simmer. Add more water if necessary.

Combine chicken and spices with beans; simmer 10 more minutes. Cool and freeze.

To serve, thaw chili. Simmer chili 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Top chili with salsa and/or grated cheese; serve on warmed corn tortillas.